The Swirling Stars of Merethin is a mammoth, safe nation, ruled by Iris with a fair hand, and renowned for its state-planned economy, smutty television, and anti-smoking policies. The compassionate, democratic, cheerful population of 5.953 billion Merethinians love a good election, and the government gives them plenty of them. Universities tend to be full of students debating the merits of various civil and political rights, while businesses are tightly regulated and the wealthy viewed with suspicion.

The enormous, socially-minded, outspoken government juggles the competing demands of Education, Industry, and Administration. It meets to discuss matters of state in the capital city of Merethin City. The average income tax rate is 99.5%.

The frighteningly efficient Merethinian economy, worth a remarkable 1,265 trillion golden coins a year, is driven entirely by a combination of government and state-owned industry, with private enterprise illegal. The industrial sector, which is highly specialized, is mostly made up of the Information Technology industry, with significant contributions from Book Publishing and Tourism. Average income is an amazing 212,555 golden coins, and distributed extremely evenly, with practically no difference between the richest and poorest citizens.

Merethin's citizens often wander into each other's homes, the government's economic policy can be summed up as "Abort, Retry, Fail?", betting pennies on games of Go Fish is considered deviant, and the Party has more splits than a yo-yo dieter's trousers. Crime, especially youth-related, is totally unknown, thanks to a capable police force and progressive social policies in education and welfare. Merethin's national animal is the axolotl, which frolics freely in the nation's sparkling oceans, and its national religion is Star Sister.

Merethin is ranked 1,362^nd in the world and 3^rd in Starlight for Highest Average Tax Rates, with 99.48 Effective Tax Rate.